Lotus Lakes and Falling Flames
by Itia
Summary: When was their first meeting, was it when she first entered? Did his hatred stem from that first meeting or did it come from a time earlier? My take on J/K and how it actually was.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Any characters or places that you recognise all belong to Tamora Pierce.

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**The First Meeting**

She remembers the first time they ever met. It was one of the brief visits back to Tortall, Ilane of Mindelan had decided to meet up with one of her closest friends from her years at the convent, Meldrose of Stone Mountain.

The two friends embraced as they met in the Midelan townhouse exclaiming over the child each had brought along. Despite being only five, Keladry had already lost her adolescent chatter in favour of the Yamani customs, silently observing the world around her with muted curiosity. Her emerald-almond eyes gazed levely back into a pair of wide blue orbs. The eight-year old pushed his unruly locks out of his eyes as he grinned and held his hand out to the girl.

There was a doubtful pause as the girl looked uncertainly at her mother. Ilane nodded and encouraged, Keladry gave a deep bow before taking the proffered hand. Joren took the hand and launched into an introduction of himself.

"I'm Joren of Stone Mountain. I'm eight years old and the firstborn son of Lord Buchard of Stone Mountain and Lady Meldrose of Cerisey. The Stone Mountain house is in the book of gold and has been around for more than four centuries," he announced proudly, looking delighted he'd managed to recite all that in front of this girl.

Keladry mimed a shy hello before swiftly leaning back into her mothers' skirts, meekly peeping out at the boy and his beautiful mother.

"Kel, would you like to show Joren your new _shukusen_? I hace something to discuss with Lady Meldrose" Ilane looks at her daughter pointedly. The girl nods and places her palms flat on her thighs and bows to the two women before leading the excited boy out of the room.

"Sometimes I wonder if bringing her to the Yamans was a good idea. She's so immersed in their culture she seems more Eastern than Western," Ilane sighs as she watches her daughter silently lead the boy out. "Seeing her with Joren only goes to show how different she is, but you must be so proud of your son! He has your features and Buchard's blonde hair and his infamous eyes! In a few years, he'll be a heartbreaker just like his father!" Ilane laughs, only to stop short at the expression on her friend's face.

Meldrose tucked a stray lock behind her ear, a frown eteched between her pale eyebrows.

"I…I'm not very… I… Buchard's been cheating on me. I think" the worry in Meldrose's lilting voice tells Ilane her friend is more than doubtful. "It took me so long to conceive and give birth, and yet, after the heirs I've produced for him, Buchard trns his attentions to other women. I've already sent four maids and a cook away for being pregnant without a named father."

She takes a small sip of the Yamani brew that Ilane has prepared for her before she continues.

"And recently, Buchard's been _imparting _his values to Joren about how the Stone Mountain is a gold nobility and how Joren should be proud of it and not let anyone order him around, especially women. I'm starting to see this side of Buchard that I don't want my sons to turn out like."

Ilane offered her friend a miniature pastry and tried to steer the conversation away. "And Jayce? How is he?"

Meldrose lights up at the mention of her other son. "Oh Ilane! He's a dear! You won't believe how sweet he is! Though he's only three, he has the temperament of an angel! Only…" as her face falls, Ilane know its cause is her friend's husband yet again. "…Only that he has my red hair and my eyes which Buchard claims are unsightly on a male heir of Stone Mountain… Oh Ilane… And recently…" as the problems begin to pour out, Meldrose gives way to sobs as her friend envelops her in an embrace.

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"What's a shuksen? Hey! I just realised I don't know your name! How old are you? Do you have…" As they walked along the corridor, Joren's tirade of questions never seem to stem.

Keladry stops outside a door and turns to look at the boy. Her quiet assessment stops him in midsentence as his eyes meet her dreamy gaze yet again.

"It's _shukusen, shu-ku-sen. _My name is Keladry, I'm five, I have three older brothers and two older sisters and I love to eat soba. My favourite colour is red." She gives him a moment to process her answers before turning the handle to reveal a large playroom.

Joren follows her into the sparse room and looks around. It is neat, with a multitude of boxes stacked up. The floor is devoid of any stray toys lying around, except for a simple mat lying in the middle. It is so unlike his own playroom, scattered with swords, wooden horses and other toys, that he is stunned.

Keladry approaches a small box in the center to take out two thick sticks. She settles gracefully with her feet tucked in and gestures for him to come over, Curious, he accepts the stick turning it over. Before almost dropping it. Surprised at the weight, he sits next to her and watches her unfurl the stick. Carefully taking the top and bottom sticks, he spreads it apart on his lap. The _shukusen_ opens to reveal equally spaced bamboo sticks each as thick as two of his fingers, flat and all connected by a smooth cloth that depicts a scene of a calm lotus pond backed by mist covered mountains in a red sunset. A quick glance at hers shows a plainer, dark blue _shukusen_ with a curling red dragon and patterned flames. The _shukusens_ are triangular in shape framed by sharp edges that seem even deadlier than his own practice swords.

"The _shukusen_ is made of metal, for women of the warrior class. We wear it when we think we are in danger. But mama says I'm too small to carry the real one, so I can practice with the bamboo ones instead." She points to his "that's my favourite one."

"Then why did you give it to me instead? Why not keep yours to yourself and give me that one?" Joren tries to hand the fan back to her. But she gently closes the fan with a snap and pushes it back to him, shaking her head.

"You are the guest in the house, we cannot be selfish to guests who have come peacefully as Mama says."

He nods, seeming to turn the thought over in his head. Then he cocks his head to the side "Then why do you need to practice with a bamboo shuk...shukuken?" He is surprised when her soft cheeks colour.

"O_doruno cho_. The fan toss dance. Every warrior lady is supposed to know the dance by heart" she looks down embarrassed "but I can't do it yet, I keep forgetting which part comes next."

Joren looks at her for a moment before thrusting the _shukusen_ into her hands. "I want to see your dance."

She stares at him and shakes her head. "I… I can't! It's not perfect yet!"

But at his defiant silence and petulant glare she reluctantly gives in, not wanting to be scolded later for being rude to the guest if Joren had a reason to complain. She reluctantly gets to her feet and paces to the middle of the room, where the mat lay. She looks at him "It's not perfect yet, my dance is very ugly still," before she bows to him. There is a beat of silence and she begins her dance.

She unfurls the fan with a snap and falls to her knees. The movement is so sudden that he thinks she has tripped but the graceful rise of her arms convinces him otherwise. He can hear her chanting softly under her breath. She spins slowly as she rises, one hand supporting her tilted head, the other arm trailing behind her, holding the fan like a red flame. Her arms and legs move in tandem and her soft chanting seems to match the dance.

Suddenly, she stops. Standing in the middle, she looks ready to cry. "I… I forgot the next step" her voice wobbles slightly and thoughts of being found by his mother for making her cry flash through Joren's head.

"I thought it was well done! " Joren smiles encouragingly, and prepares to get up and comfort her before she starts to cry and he is found the cause.

Her vehement stamp makes him sit back down. "No! I must finish the dance. I can't not finish the dance! I can't!" Tears gone, Joren sits back down to watch the girl finish the dance, albeit with awkward pauses and slight stumbles. As she sinks to her knees, one arm over her bowed head and the other outstretched, Joren claps enthusiastically careful not to have a repeat of the scene just now.

She looks up shyly before breaking into a grin. As she settles back into the corner, he turns the beautiful fan in his hands.

"Can I learn that?" she looks worried at his question.

"Mistress Kurenai says that men are not supposed to dance the _oudoruno cho. _It will be a breach to the female customs."

Joren looks indignant. "But my papa says that women should always listen to what men tell them to do because we always know better." The girl opens her mouth, ready to argue when the playroom door opens and a maid puts her head in.

"Lady Keladry, your mother wishes you and the Lord back in the drawing room." Keladry nods her thanks as the maid withdraws. She places the _shukusens _carefully back in the box and turns to find a hand thrust in her face. Looking up into the face of a grinning Joren, she puts aside their earlier disagreement and takes his hand.

As they walk back Joren asks her why she keeps her toys in the boxes. She looks at him surprised.

"Well, they keep the place neat for one. And I always know where my toys are when I want to play with them. And well, I always thought keeping the toys in the boxes made them safe. Like they have a shelter to stay in when I'm not with them." She smiles up at him and her wide eyes seem to stun him for a moment.

They stop suddenly outside the drawing room and he pushes the door to run back to his mother. Keladry bows to the two mothers before racing to the safety of her own mothers' skirts.

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Ilane and Meldrose part, promising to exchange correspondence. As Joren clambers in after his mother, she questions him on his encounter with the youngest daughter of the Mindelan clan. She ruffles his hair fondly and smiles as he ducks his head.

"-ah! Mama don't mess my hair!- and she said it was to protect her toys! How clever is that?" Joren then looks to his mother seriously, "Mama she's so pretty I will marry her when I grow up!"

Meldrose laughs and tugs at his ear teasing him when she remembers the quiet girl she met. "I don't think so Joren, but I certainly hope you will."

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A/N: Ohkay so I haven't written in so so so so long but anyway here's my fic that seems to have written itself. Apologies for the terrible grammar, I got confused halfway through. This'll probably have a continuation, though not anytime soon cause A's are next year and whatnot…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters do not belong to me, they belong to Tamora Pierce, only the storyline does...

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**A Letter**

_My dear Ilane,_

_How has the weather been in the Islands? Two months have come and gone since we last met in your Corus townhouse, I do hope you are in hale health. Do remember to take care of yourself and your family now that winter is just around the corner. I must say that the tea and pastries that you left with me were delicious and while Buchard did not seem to take a liking to the delicacies, the exotic tastes have left a favourable impression with my two sons._

_Speaking of which I do need to commend your daughter on the change she has brought on to Joren. Dismiss your misgivings on how your daughter is growing up! She will turn out to be a fine lady. Joren has adopted a few of the good habits that she seems to have impressed on him during their short afternoon together. I have observed such a marked change in the way he behaves!_

_First was when guests from the house of Eamonn dropped by with their young son, Joren was such a polite child and moreover he was even willing to share his toys with the boy, something that he would never have done for all the cajoling and pleading in the past! He also demanded that we buy boxes to keep his toys, from what I've heard, as does Keladry. While he does not always remember to keep his toys, I do have the maids telling me that he tries to keep his toys when he is in a good mood._

_The most distinct change is in his lessons, Joren no longer comes and goes on his whim. He practices with determination and once, when I questioned him on his behaviour, he mentioned that it was to show Keladry the next time we visited. His teachers mention his improvements to both his father and myself, alleviating Buchard's mood for days at end. Joren has begun pestering me as to when we can meet up so that he can see Keladry again. Oh Ilane! What a blessing your daughter has been!_

_Jayce continues to be a joy to the household and is proving to turn into a scholar. He has mastered his alphabets quickly and is beginning to pick up both the paintbrush and the flute much to my delight. While Buchard disapproves, I have managed to convince him it is a passing fad and his interest in the arts will wane soon. However the instructors have told me how well Jayce is doing and improving daily._

_My marriage is _status quo_ as of right now, but I will tell you more as we meet again. I have sent along some Tortallian delicacies and dress for your daughter along with my thanks. I do hope to see you again soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Meldrose_

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TBC


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